Conquering Theana (12 page)

She
gathered her purse, and then followed through the scent cloud of the alpha and
beta. Her head was spinning.
Seven more days to go
.

As
she started up the engine of her Audi, she sat back with the hesitation of a
newborn pup. In the back of her mind, she knew what the week would bring.
Come
on, it’s pack cohesion for God's sake.
The question that ran loops around
her brain was the issue of being ready to be mated. There was so much of
herself that she had yet to discover, and being tied down in Seurri would not
help her live out her dreams.
Theana
backed out of
her spot thinking that those dreams would have to pause for a few days, while
she tried her damndest to keep her paws to herself.

The
drive was a short one given that the
Ulric
grounds
were directly across the overpass. Funny how she’d never ventured onto the
territory in the past.
Never looked in their direction.
When she was younger, she would run like the wind all over
Dolphus
lands, but once she was old enough to venture outside of the main gates,
Theana
left willingly. Seurri was her home and her pack was
her heart, but being closed away was not how she wanted to live. The freedom of
a run was the best thing in the world to a shifter, so why not
run
the world over was her sentiment.

Once
she drove under the highway, she pulled onto
Ulric
Drive. They had a few banners up like the rest of the clans that showcased the
coming attractions for the city.
New movies, sporting events,
important conferences.
The next thing scheduled for Seurri was the
soccer tournament. A curl hit her lip as she remembered frequenting all of the
Dolphins’ games with her father as a child. Yes, a tomboy was what she had
been, which gave reason to her hardened exterior. She had so many fond memories
of her past, but it seemed that everything turned to rot when Camden wanted to
claim her. Sure she didn’t help the situation by stopping his advances from the
first signs, but how could she mate with someone as close to her as her own
family? With her mother being gone, all she had was her father, Sonja, and
Camden to look out for her best interest. And his mate claim had destroyed a
relationship and friendship that had meant the world to her. Resentment ran
deep about that situation, but there was something different about the
Ulric
alpha. She hadn’t stuck around Seurri long enough to
witness his leadership, but he seemed to have an ease about him that she found
intriguing. He had bite to his bark, but his eyes had a kindness to them that
showed he could be trusted. The fact that he was the supreme alpha was sexy as
hell, too.

Theana
made her way up the stone drive of
Ulric’s
main house. There were several gardeners who looked up from their work of
meticulous beautification to the grounds to nod their heads at her. The mansion
itself was shaded in clay earth tones constructed out of the stucco that was
commonplace for the area.
Theana
was in complete awe
to see the ornate iron walkways extending from the arched openings of the rooms
on the second level. It was by far the largest residential structure in Seurri.
She was imagining how breathtaking the home would look under the moonlight when
she almost ran into the same guy who had taken her suitcase moments earlier.
She quickly slammed onto her brakes and rolled down her window.

"Do
you have a death wish or something?" she barked at him.

"Actually,
no, I do not, but I’m here to park your vehicle for you. Rafael and Gregori are
waiting for you inside," he stated offering another winning smile. The way
he smiled at her was infectious.
Theana
was not one
to show joy or be overzealous, but there was something about the coolness in
the wolf's eyes that made her want to join in on his happiness.

Theana
grabbed her purse and stepped out of the vehicle. She could not
believe that she was allowing a stranger to sit behind the wheel of her baby,
but for some strange reason she trusted him. Before he drove off, she leaned
inside of the driver side window.

"Hey,
what's your name, wolf?"

"Tim,"
he offered, grinning at her, almost blushing that she was petting his wolf. He
was a man with responsibility, but no wolf could resist a good muzzling.

She
rubbed him on the shoulder,
then
stated with a
straight face, "If I find one scratch on my car, I am going to put a
scratch in your ass." Tim's face dropped into a saddened frown, but perked
back up when she winked playfully at him.

Theana
patted the hood of her car then sauntered off toward the front
entrance of “
Ulric
Manor”—the name she bestowed the
monstrous estate. When she balled up her fist to knock at the door, her heart
began to soar, beating profusely inside of her chest cavity.
This is not the
time for a panic attack
, she argued with herself. Everything in side of her
wanted to bolt, but the jarring of the front door snapped her out of her brief
panic.
Gregori.
His dark eyes looked her over. Her
wolf swooned for him. He offered his arm to her, which she gracefully looped
her hand into, and they both stepped over the threshold.

Rafael
was waiting directly on the other side with his arm extended. She staggered for
a moment as his presence hit her like a ton of bricks. His touch sent
shockwaves through her body. Sweat droplets formed at her temple.
Hot
.

"Welcome
to our home,
Theana
," he announced, touching his
hand to hers that linked onto his arm. They walked into a massive sitting room
that was triple in comparison to
her own
clan estate.
There were nearly twenty wolves sitting or standing when they approached, but
the closer they got to the room, the entire pack seemed to double, standing at
attention.

Rafael
turned her hand loose and fanned her in the direction of the pack, but Gregori
held on for a breath longer before allowing her to mingle. They all seemed to
swarm her but not in an aggressive manner. The taking up of her scent was to be
expected in those types of situations, so she was open to their closeness.

"This
is a good portion of the
Ulric
clan,
Theana
. Most are unmated, but some are. We didn’t want to
overwhelm you with the numbers, so we have purposely left a few in their homes
in the back of the estate. You’ll greet them later this afternoon while Gregori
and I are at Council," Rafael stated while a few members in their wolf
forms sniffed at her. They were young and frisky but older than playful pups.
Theana
had a soft spot for pups and younger wolves. They
were so innocent. No worries about politics, status, or mating.
Mating...yuck.
She
reached down and ruffled her fingers through their fur. They panted, wrapping
their tails around her. She could feel the positive vibes filling the
atmosphere. She would be fine.

When
she turned to Rafael, she caught a slight curl to his mouth, which warmed her
insides. Up until that point, her impression of him had been the poster child
of ruling with a cold, iron fist. He was approachable when they dream-walked,
but that could have been a fluke. However, the expression of warmth spoke
volumes. His true colors were shown while he was amongst his own, that much she
knew.

"So,
there is a Council meeting this afternoon?" she asked of Rafael.

"Yes,"
was the only word that he offered, so
Theana
decided
to leave
it.
She knew that they were working on the
issue of a wolf being attacked, but she was not sure if it was common knowledge
amongst the entire population of Seurri. When the two younger wolves left her
side, a petite girl with an olive complexion and the frame of a child stepped
toward her. She was glorious. The wolf was young but nowhere near a child. Her eyes
displayed the years of a late teen soon to be a woman. The youth outstretched
her hand, which contained a gift for
Theana
. She
picked up the box and held the tiny brown paper wrapped cube in her hand
wondering what was concealed inside when the girl blurted, "Open it, Miss
Theana
."

From the mouths of angels
, she thought.
Theana
took her in for a brief moment. She had bewitching sepia pooled eyes, with an
oval shaped face, and cheek bones that were starting to bud. It wouldn't be
long before the youthful teen would erupt into a sultry woman.

"What's
in the box there?" She heard Gregori murmur behind her. When he spoke,
each word hit her spine like a heated blanket, and then her attention went to
the box.
Theana
carefully undid the twine and lifted
the covering and top lid off to reveal a hair-clip with shells and feather
plumes affixed to it. She quickly slid the comb into her hair. It was beautiful
and perfect for the sweltering heat of the day.
Theana
wrapped her arms around the girl to thank her. When she felt her heart flutter
her body went into to panic mode.
Theana
stepped back
releasing
herself
from the erupting emotion. She
cared. Her anxiety was soaring.
Theana
was beginning
to question herself and overanalyze the situation, and then the oddest thing
happened. The teen’s cheeks blushed, and she crashed her arms around
Theana’s
torso in a tender hug. This time
Theana
didn’t resist the offered love.

It
felt like ages, but in a matter of moments the sweet gesture ended.
Theana
held the girl at arm's length, and asked her,
"What is your name, little
angelos
from
the sky?"
Theana
tended to speak Greek around
the younger wolves just like Walter did her as a pup.

"My
name is Luna."

"The
comb is gorgeous. Did you make it?" Luna nodded. "Thank you,
angelos
Luna. It is
poli
omorfi
,
meaning
very beautiful." She embraced Luna again. In that short time, she found
herself bonding with the young woman. Luna had touched her heart, and
Theana
was appreciative of the tender care.

Theana’s
softer side was something that she preferred to stay hidden, only
to show when she was around the youth of her own pack, but being around Luna
chipped away at her exterior like a jackhammer. She stood up and silently
cleared her throat. Being around the
Ulric
pack was
intense and exhausting.

She
faced Rafael, shifting her glance briefly at Gregori, before she asked,
"So how about you show me around before you leave?"

"After
you," Rafael stated motioning her to the rear of the room, to the entryway
that led to the subdivision located behind the main house.

The
wall was filled with window panes, and a door frame made out of materials from
the forest was miraculous in structure. A wolf that visited or lived in the
main house could see far off in the distance just by looking through the
windowed wall. There was a small room attached, which appeared to be some type
of indoor porch that was encapsulated in glass from ceiling to floor.

"This
enclosure is for the members of the house to lounge in. They can sunbathe,
stargaze, or watch the rain fall," Rafael said. It was like he stepped
into her thoughts.

"Wow,
that’s impressive," she muttered.

"Yes.
We like to provide comfort and pleasure for everyone who graces our
household." Listening to the word “pleasure” roll from his tongue made her
wolf purr like a kitty.
Theana
was starting to
realize that living in close quarters with Rafael was going to prove a more
difficult task than she planned on. Not to mention the added testosterone of
Gregori. She cringed remembering being spread over the hood of her car.

They
continued their tour, walking inside of the most massive kitchen
Theana
had seen in her life. A custom gas stovetop with
twelve eyes was sitting with pots stewing away. Three chefs were making their
way around the kitchen, rinsing freshly plucked fowl inside of a sink that was
large enough to fit an entire human body. There was a butcher's block located
in the center that was at least six feet long, and a long cedar wood table with
benches attached sitting directly across from it.

"This
is where the wolves of the home eat their breakfast and lunch. I believe quail
is on the menu for dinner tonight. I hope you are a fan."

"Yes,
that sounds delicious," she answered.

They
continued on past the kitchen into an adjacent room. Gregori clicked on the
lights, and a thirty seat dining table was commanding in the room. Each chair
was high backed with a felt covering like something made for a castle, and a
glorious crystal chandelier hung over the top.

"This
is magnificent, Rafael," she admitted, surprised at her outburst. The
house was breathtaking, and it had her complete admiration.

"All
the dinners are held here. We have to seat a lot, because most of the pack eats
dinner in the main house. Tonight I expect nearly every
Ulric
wolf to be in attendance, and we have an extra table that we bring in that sits
off to the rear."
Theana
couldn’t believe her
ears at the close knit community that the
Ulric
wolves had. Sure, the
Dolphus
clan was close, but
there were wolves of the main house, and there were wolves outside of the main
house. Sure, they had many gatherings and parties and sometimes impromptu
dinners, but nothing on the scale of the
Ulrics
.